Ways of working
For the past week I have been juggling working in the shop, project applications, site visits, and sending out press releases. Due to this I have had to put on hold my Penny Arcade project. All the bits are there, I just need to piece them together when the time is right. Firstly once my busy period is over I will re-film the Penny speech close up to camera. Secondly the actual live part of the performance will have to be rehearsed as and when the work is actually going to be shown.
It’s like rehearsing a dance routine; it only really gets embedded into your body when the deadline is imminent. Working on one performance over a longer period of time is very unusual for me, an unexpected outcome from this residency. Although it has shown me that you cannot force the work to specific deadlines. As previously mentioned in my last post the work takes as long as it takes. Maintaining my blog and structuring my thinking/making time has helped me create a new piece of work.
On Tuesday I will be giving an artist talk at the University of Salford. It was my intention to talk about the AA2A scheme, however I have to consider that the students will be gearing up towards there degree show and will want to see finished works with future arts opportunities. I may touch on this and refer them to the blog as it may reassure some students to hear that the work may only really come together nearer the exhibition deadline, which is natural for some people. I remember the lead up to my degree show thinking I had no physical work to show. My degree show piece only really came together a month before the exhibition.
As long as it takes…
This week I have been at a crossroads with this project whether to ditch it or stick with it. I felt that I was nearing completion of the Penny Arcade piece, however after a full day of filming last Sunday I am still not happy. For a moment after doing the last take I felt I had got what I needed, although after a few days watching it back again I feel it’s just not right. There is a small delayed reaction with the video capture. The performance is strongest when I am close up to the camera. Reflecting on the overall piece, I am my own worst critic. To make myself absolutely sure I displayed my laptop on top of a shelving unit at the gallery, watched it back and I just felt it looked weak. This really upset me as I have put so much time into this.
To see the work in a new environment with fresh eyes made me see its faults and the strengths in the framing of my performance, which I need to magnify. Placing the laptop on top of the cabinet did make me see how the proportion of it reminded me of a body and that I could place clothing items within the shelves. Putting the work to one side for a few days the idea of holding up the video of my face, in front of my head came to mind. I had experimented with this when I was documenting my studio set-up in the bathroom using my laptop to photograph the reflection of the space in the mirror. This way of combining the display of the laptop with a live performance has reinvigorated the piece and is a new take on performing to the viewer, and to camera. My internal critic feels like I should have resolved the work by now. I guess the work takes as long as it takes…
